000
AWUS83 KDMX 222231
RWSDMX
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-
092>097-230400-

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR IOWA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
500 PM CST WED DEC 22 2004

ARCTIC AIR AND SUNSHINE CONTINUED OVER MUCH OF THE STATE LATE THIS 
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES CONTINUED VERY COLD ACROSS IOWA 
WITH READINGS RANGING FROM 4 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO AT MASON CITY TO 19 
DEGREES AT SHENANDOAH. THE WIND WAS GENERALLY FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 
8 TO 13 MPH STATEWIDE. HIGH CLOUDS HAD INCREASED OVER THE 
SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE WITH SOME MID-LEVEL CLOUDS EVIDENT 
OVER THE FAR NORTHEASTERN COUNTIES OF IOWA BY 3 PM. FARTHER NORTH IN 
MINNESOTA AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES STRUGGLED TO GET ABOVE ZERO. BY 
MID-AFTERNOON INTERNATIONAL FALLS WAS STILL REPORTING A TEMPERATURE 
OF 9 BELOW ZERO WITH MINNEAPOLIS AT 2 ABOVE ZERO. 

AN AREA OF ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLD AIR WILL 
HOLD STRONG OVER THE EASTERN DAKOTAS TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. 
THE HIGH IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT IOWA THROUGH FRIDAY WITH SOME 
MODERATION IN TEMPERATURE AS CHRISTMAS EVE APPROACHES. A DEVELOPING 
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY WILL 
LIFT NORTHEAST THROUGH THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. 
THIS SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SIGNIFICANT SNOW TO PORTIONS OF THESE 
AREAS...WITH AMOUNTS EXCEEDING A FOOT POSSIBLE. IOWA WILL BE 
SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE STORM TO THE SOUTHEAST AND THE LARGE HIGH TO 
THE WEST. THIS WILL PROVIDE CONTINUED REINFORCEMENT OF THE ARCTIC 
AIR ON NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS. WITH THE WIND INCREASING IN 
STRENGTH LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING AND COLD AIR CONTINUING 
TO FUNNEL SOUTH...WIND CHILL ADVISORIES WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR THE 
NORTHERN HALF OF IOWA ALONG WITH PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA... 
WISCONSIN...AND ILLINOIS LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.

LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL FALL BELOW ZERO OVER MUCH OF THE STATE 
WITH READINGS RANGING FROM NEAR ZERO IN THE SOUTH TO NEAR 10 BELOW 
OVER THE NORTH. HIGHS ON THURSDAY WILL RECOVER TO NEAR ZERO NORTH 
AND TO NEAR 10 ABOVE ZERO SOUTH.  LOWS FRIDAY MORNING SHOULD FALL 
AROUND TO NEAR 5 BELOW SOUTH TO 12 BELOW NORTH MAKING FRIDAY MORNING 
THE COLDEST MORNING SO FAR THIS SEASON. WIND CHILLS WILL BE EVEN 
COLDER...WITH VALUES APPROACHING 15 TO 30 BELOW LATE TONIGHT THROUGH 
NOON WEDNESDAY AND POSSIBLY AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT.   

$$

VACHALEK